Don’t Give Up

Tuesday was a good day. I went to a seminar at my University of Toronto college celebrating the consecration of its chapel seventy years ago. I had the distinction of being the only person present who was in the chapel that day – one of eight undergraduate men and women who were invited to the event. Times change. It was important enough then for the event to be televised nationally.

The seminar’s title was Sustaining Hope and Seeking Justice in Challenging Times and had an interesting group of presenters. Two later received honorary degrees. Several were from other faiths. One was a politician noting that he was a Roman Catholic working for a Lutheran body speaking to a bunch of Anglicans. One of the speakers ,a woman bishop, addressed the topic of hope quoting from Emily Dickinson. Another woman bishop recited a poem entitled, Hope is not a Bird, Emily.

The most dramatic speaker was the retired 27th presiding bishop and primate of the American Episcopal Church, Michael Curry. By preaching at the wedding of Prince Harry and an American television star, he became world famous – talking about the power of love. He reminded those present that he was the descendant of slaves – and that his father, also a priest had been converted to Anglicanism when he saw White and Black persons drinking from the same cup.

Curry’s success in imprinting an idea involves repetition “Don’t Give Up” He kept reminding us that justice ebbs and flows but moves to a better place when those who appear to lose still continue to act. We can’t change everything, but we have constant choices to make things better for others,

These wise words came the day after a certain American president dismissed a question from a woman reported by shaking a finger and saying “Quiet, Piggy.”

Here’s your chance. Every woman and every man who doesn’t want to turn the world into a place where women are called animals by the leader of the free world can speak up. Forget all the other stuff that is going on for now. Call, email and text your elected federal representatives of any party and tell them that this is not the America you want to live in. Tell them to shout and scream at a president that this will not do. Tell him to stop. Take the power that they have or else. Remind them that the time is now. Remind them that the rest of the world is watching. Remind them that hope and justice in challenging times depends on all of us – but especially on them. Don’t Give Up